'My daddy spurned knighthood'

Posted on 29 October 2005 - 07:27am

Print SEASONED survivors of jun !e "arfare #no" it !i#e t$e bac# of t$eir $and% &or ever' 700 $ours of jun !e bas$in "it$ e(tremes of discomfort a ainst tro)ica! "eat$er* mos+uitoes* uncertaint' and boredom* t$ere is on!' one $our of e()!osive action% Poundin adrena!ine* t$e b!ood' vio!ence of combat at c!ose +uarters and sudden deat$ comes on!' in t$e 70,st $our% At t$e $ei $t of t$e -a!a'an Emer enc'* A nes .eon /o# .oon* "as no jun !e bas$er but t$e dau $ter of .eon 0e" /o$* a )ractisin !a"'er in 1)o$% 1n ,929* a raduate of journa!ism from 3oston 4niversit'* /o# .oon* "as restin at $er fami!'5s$o!ida' $ome in 6ameron 7i $!ands "$en t$e 70,st $our detonated at $er doorste)% -a!a'an 6ommunist Part' #in )in* 6$in Pen and $is comrades $ad come to rude!' dis!od e a defence!ess !ad' from $er reverie* "it$ )!ans to abduct $er for ransom to finance t$eir )o!itica! cause% 3ut armed "it$ on!' t$e $ei $tened )!ot from t$e fiction t$at s$e "as readin * /o# .oon decided to )!a' mind ames "it$ t$e communists% 80ou can dismember m' bod' and send t$e )arts to m' fat$er but 'ou "i!! not et a sen from $im*8 s$e re)eated!' to!d t$e ueri!!as* a"are t$at s$e "as on!' a tri er a"a' from mart'rdom% E(as)erated b' $er obstinate nature and discoura ed b' "$at s$e $ad said* rif!e-fire bar#ed in unnervin staccato s$atterin t$e )!acidit' of t$e co!d mist' mornin % 9$en t$e unsmo#e c!eared* /o# .oon "as sti!! on $er feet but :0 $eads of catt!e o"ned b' $er fami!' $ad fa!!en to t$e round - ;omm'- unned b' t$e rut$!ess bandits% 9$en .eon arrived from 1)o$* $e stoica!!' surve'ed t$e scene* on!' mutterin : 8A!! is fair in !ove and "ar%8 8;$at "as t$e man t$at $e "as* fu!! of fortitude and a judicious )erson*8 /o# .oon te!!s t$eSun in a recent intervie" at $er 3an sar $ome% S$e re rettab!' s$a#es $er $ead "$en as#ed if 6$in Pen return to $is $ometo"n in Sitia"an% s$ou!d be a!!o"ed to

8An'one "$o $as raised arms a ainst $is countr' does not deserve a second c$ance*8 s$e sa's* referrin to 6$in Pen 5s armed stru !e* underscored as 8;$e 9ar of t$e <unnin Do s8 in Noe! 3arber5s best se!!er% 87o"ever m' fat$er )erceived ever't$in * from )o!itics to socia! !ife and $ome economics in a )$i!oso)$ica! "a'*8 s$e sa's% 3ut toda'* t$e name 8.eon 0e" /o$8 dra"s a b!an# not on!' amon t$e di ita! eneration but even amon t$e immediate )ost--erde#a set% And 'et .eon "as one of severa! 6$inese visionaries instrumenta! to t$e foundin of t$e -a!a'an6$inese Association =-6A>* a forerunner to t$e -a!a'sian 6$inese Association% 9$en reminded t$at not man' -a!a'sians $ave $eard of .eon * t$e first secretar'enera! of -6A =,952-,957>* /o# .oon smi!es: 8Even t$e current breed of -6A members $ave not $eard of $im% 80et $e "as t$e man "$o refused to acce)t a #ni $t$ood from t$e ?ueen of En !and%8 Accordin to $er* .eon s)urned t$e #ni $t$ood offered to $im before -erde#a* sa'in : 81 "i!! on!' #o"to" to t$e soverei n /in of an 1nde)endent -a!a'a* not a forei n ?ueen%8 .eon became t$e -inister for 7ea!t$ and Socia! 9e!fare "$en $is former budd' at t$e 1nner ;em)!e* .ondon* ;un#u Abdu! <a$man* formed $is )re-1nde)endence cabinet% After 1nde)endence* .eon "as made t$e first @overnor of -a!acca =,957-,959> and subse+uent!' -inister of Austice% 7o"ever* !on before $e made inroads in -a!a'a5s )o!itica! front $e "as a rovin di)!omat on t$e internationa! arena% 7is ro!e as emissar' for t$e 6$inese @overnment $as earned $im t$e ran# of 86o!one!8 and s)anned man' countries inc!udin 3urma* 1ndia* Sout$ Africa* P$i!i))ines* 7o!!and and t$e Dutc$ East 1ndies =1ndonesia>% 3orn in Sa!a# Nort$ in ,BBB* .eon $ai!ed from a eneration of "ea!t$' tin mine o"ners "$o "ere !ar e!' res)onsib!e for t$e ro"t$ and deve!o)ment of Pera#5s nort$ern re ion% A former student of t$e 1)o$ An !o 6$inese Sc$oo!* .eon )ursued )o!itica! science and economics as "e!! as !a" at t$e 4niversit' 6o!!e e and 1nner ;em)!e in .ondon% 7e "as ca!!ed to t$e 3ar in ,920 and served as an advocate and so!icitor in t$e &ederated -a!a' States =&-S> and "as a!so a member of t$e &-S 3ar 6ommittee% /o# .oon* t$e second amon .eon 5s seven c$i!dren* remembers $er fat$er as t$e "arm fami!' man but a no-nonsense $ard-!iner "$o "i!! not to!erate a breac$ in disci)!ine* es)ecia!!' in academic )erformance and re!i ious ob!i ations% A devout 6at$o!ic and a ver' )ra'erfu! man .eon e(tended $is sense of re!i iosit' even to $is -a!a' driver%

8On &rida'* afternoons "$en $e "as trave!!in $e "i!! te!! $is driver to sto) at t$e nearest mos+ue and to )artici)ate in t$e -us!im con re ationa! "ors$i)* "$i!e $e sat in $is car and )ra'ed t$e rosar'*8 /o# .oon reca!!s% ;"o of .eon 5s dau $ters are retired nuns "it$ t$e &ranciscan -issionaries of t$e Divine -ot$er$ood and are res)ective!' based in Penan and Sin a)ore% 1f a bio ra)$er $ad trai!ed after .eon * $is !ife* times and adventures cou!d $ave been "oven into a fascinatin $istorio ra)$ica! coc#tai!% And if t$ere $ad been a 9$o5s 9$o )ub!ication in )ost"ar -a!a'a - t$e name of .eon 0e" /o$ ma' $ave been radiant!' re istered "it$ a !e end attestin to $is nationa!ist s)irit and im)eria! )atriotism as "e!!% An avid $unter* .eon "$o is #no"n to $ave brou $t do"n t$e ferocious ;i er of 0unan "it$ just one bu!!et from $is rif!e $as t$ree roads in t$e countr' named after $im% So t$e ne(t time "$en -a!a'sians come across 8Aa!an .eon 0e" /o$8 in 1)o$* -a!acca or in ;aman ;un Dr 1smai!* /ua!a .um)ur - )er$a)s it ma' not be too !ate to raise a si!ent sa!ute to t$e man - t$e !itt!e #no"n first overnor of -a!acca%